Wolf outlines plan to dump Corbett's Healthy PA

"Gov. Wolf's plan will provide hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians with access to health care coverage," said Ted Dallas, acting secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. "The change … will make it easier for eligible families to get access to health care by streamlining the current system."

While one part of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, offers subsidized private health insurance through the marketplace, another part expands Medicaid to serve low-income adults in participating states.

Under Corbett, Pennsylvania took the unusual step of rejecting federal guidelines for such an expansion and putting forth its own plan, called Healthy PA.

Healthy PA places special requirements on an estimated 600,000 eligible Pennsylvanians — largely working poor who fall into a coverage gap because they don't qualify for government subsidies under the Affordable Care Act and can't afford monthly premiums.

On Monday, the Department of Human Services released a timeline detailing Wolf's plan to shift from Healthy PA to a standard Medicaid expansion.

Starting in April, the state no longer will accept new applicants for Healthy PA. Existing Healthy PA enrollees will be transferred to Medicaid's HealthChoices program by the end of September.

At no time will anyone experience gaps in coverage, according to Human Services. Individuals will be notified by mail before changes to their insurance take effect.

"Our priority is to ensure the transition goes smoothly and Pennsylvanians have access to health care," said Wolf. The change, he added, "will better serve consumers and save money."

More than 2 million adults and children already receive Medicaid benefits in Pennsylvania.